The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has swiftly contained a fire outbreak at the Kumasi New Kejetia Market, preventing the blaze from spreading to more than 30 adjoining shops and saving goods worth millions of cedis.
In a statement, the GNFS said a team of nine firefighters, led by Station Officer I Maxwell Partey, arrived at the scene within two minutes of receiving the distress call and encountered thick smoke billowing from the affected shop.
The firefighters quickly confined the fire using portable extinguishers and water from the market’s hose reel system, bringing the situation under control at 8:48 a.m. and fully extinguishing the blaze by 9:00 a.m.
The affected shop sustained partial smoke damage, with about 250 boxes of matches, nail polishing chemicals and 10 deodorants impacted.
Preliminary investigations suggest the fire was caused by the spontaneous ignition of stockpiled flammable substances combined with combustible materials in a poorly ventilated space.
No injuries or fatalities were recorded.